Sandwich shop chain Which Wich has opened its fifth Knoxville-area location, and plans to see three to five more here in the next 12 to 18 months, according to Dustin Griffiths, the company’s director of real estate.

“We’d love to be on Cumberland Avenue, love to be in Farragut and Lenoir City sometime in the near future,” said Griffiths.

The newest location is on the University of Tennessee’s campus, in Thompson-Boling Arena. It began serving lunch Aug. 21. It’s operated by Aramark, which provides food and other services on many college campuses.

“This will be the 29th location we’ve done with Aramark across the country,” Griffiths said. That store and others are still hiring; each location has 15 to 20 employees, and people can apply in person or at employment.whichwich.com, he said.

All other local Which Wich locations, and likely future ones, are in the hands of franchisees Jeff and Amy Hensley. Their area franchise is exclusive, except for campus, Griffiths said.

Jeff and Amy Hensley, seen here Dec. 3, 2016, are opening Which WIch sandwich shop locations in Fouintain City and Alcoa.(Photo: Submitted)

The Hensleys opened their first Which Wich here in 2014. They have restaurants on Kingston Pike and in Oak Ridge; in May they opened one in Alcoa, and in June added another in Fountain City.

They agreed to develop 10 altogether, and Griffiths – a Farragut High School graduate with friends and family in Knoxville – said the Hensleys currently plan for three to five more.

There is no company rule on how close to one another Which Wich locations can be; that’s determined by population density and traffic, Griffiths said.

Which Wich customers write their preferences for sandwich toppings on a paper bag, sign it, and give it to the cashier. Sandwiches are served cold or oven-baked, and Griffiths said vegetarian and gluten-free versions are available. The company offers catering and delivery for large orders.

There is no pressure or time limit when ordering a sandwich at Which Wich. Customers can take their time building their favorite sub using order sandwich bags.(Photo: Ruth White)

Which Wich was founded in 2003 by Jeff Sinelli, who also started the Genghis Grill chain. Dallas, Texas-based Which Wich has about 500 locations open or in development in 39 states and 12 countries.